Chapter 53
Chapter 53
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Translator: penny
Chapter: 53
Chapter Title: Guardian Shadow (6)
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9
“What is a sword, you say...”
Azel leaned against the window frame and murmured as he gazed up at the night sky.
It was a question he had heard many times long ago. Now, over 220 years after the Dragon Emperor War had ended, he never imagined he would be revisiting those old conversations with his former masters.
The five people Azel had considered his masters each had their own answer to this koan.
The first master had said,
“A sword is a magnificent killing tool. It’s an evil invention that lets a small, scrawny kid like you kill an adult.”
“Is it really okay to hand something like that to a kid like me?”
“That’s exactly why I’m giving it to you, of course.”
“...”
It was he who had the greatest influence on Azel’s view of weapons as mere tools. Probably because he was the first master. Azel suspected the man had actually been a noble, but his attitude toward the sword was freer than even a mercenary’s.
The second master had said,
“Humans are poorly performing lifeforms who struggle just to fully control their own bodies. So how incredible would it be to perfectly wield a tool like a sword, which isn’t even part of your body?”
He saw the sword—no, weapons in general—as tools to achieve absolute sense. Having lost an eye and an arm, he had realized how full of flaws the human body was by nature, and his pursuit of absolute sense made him perhaps the truest seeker among Azel’s masters.
The third master had said,
“A sword is the only signpost left to me, who has lost his way. Don’t end up like me, Azel.”
The successor to a fallen kingdom, he had lost everything to the Dragon Demon King’s army. Yet even after slaying the direct object of his hatred with his own hands, he was forever plagued by emptiness. He was a hero, a single ray of hope in the dark age for the people, but his own soul suffered from the pain of losing everything.
To him, the sword—and swordsmanship—was the link connecting him to memories of his destroyed past. The wondrous swordsmanship that had made the Dragon Demon King’s army tremble was not power for battle or an object of enlightenment; it was simply cherished mementos tying him to a past fading into the madness of time.
The fourth master was not a swordsman. In fact, he had never used weapons at all and hadn’t even trained in martial arts before meeting Azel. He was a natural-born monster of a man. But he had an intriguing perspective on the sword—no, on weapons in general.
“It’s something that lets you gauge how much killing intent humans harbor.”
“What?”
“Humans are weak. But their desire to kill those they fear or are terrified of swells to unbelievable levels. That’s why they created things like that, right?”
“...Can it really be interpreted that way?”
“The weak kill the strong. It happens plenty in nature. But no other creature takes it as a given like humans do. Weapons and martial arts are the pinnacle of creation born from human irrationality.”
The fifth master was, as far as Azel knew, the greatest swordsman in terms of technique. Always sly yet more serious about the sword than anyone.
“The sword is my life and soul.”
“That’s so corny, old man.”
“Are you saying new is always better than old? Young folks are so frivolous. If a sword you’ve devoted your life to doesn’t carry that much weight, it’s ridiculous.”
“...”
“From when you were a beardless brat until now, when I’m old and my hair’s gone white, I’ve immersed myself in the sword. So of course it’s my life and soul.”
...Everyone who gripped a sword and staked their lives and ideals on it had their own answer. Azel thought back to those days and quietly smiled.
10
She was being pursued.
It wasn’t a situation Niberis was accustomed to. It might seem strange that a Dragon Demon Worshipper had never been chased, but in truth, she had always moved within carefully laid plans. Her subordinates gathered intelligence and set the stage, and she simply did her part before slipping away cleanly. That had been her way.
In other words, she was like a flower in a greenhouse. Having reached a remarkable level of magic at a young age due to her exceptional talent, she couldn’t understand why her organization feared the world. With such overwhelming power, why still cower in fear?
Of course, she knew they couldn’t reveal themselves until the great Dragon Demon King returned as prophesied. Humans viewed them as enemies, so a rash move could draw a horde and lead to destruction.
But did that mean they couldn’t dominate from behind the scenes? No matter how many enemies hated them, was it so hard to crush them with force and fill the upper echelons of society with Dragon Demon Worshippers?
Niberis had always harbored such frustrations. And now she realized her thinking had been wrong.
“Urk...!”
“Miss, don’t try to block everything—focus on running!”
Durang advised as he ran beside her.
A wielder of immense mana was chasing them from behind, unleashing a barrage of spells. And it wasn’t just one.
“If it were one-on-one, a guy like that...!”
Boom! Bang! KABOOM!
Spells exploded around them one after another, the blasts echoing loudly.
Niberis had summoned tentacles of darkness and was gliding across the ground at high speed. Earlier, she had soared with flight magic only to be shot down in humiliation.
Count Mirkel, the Dragon Demon hybrid mage called the guardian deity of the Lurein Kingdom’s eastern region. He was pursuing Niberis and Durang with three disciples and five knights in tow.
She, Durang, and the others were sprinting at speeds twice that of a horse at full gallop. Normally, they would have left Mirkel’s group far behind by now. And if those were the only pursuers, they wouldn’t be fleeing so desperately.
The problem was the entities circling them at terrifying speeds.
Shiiiieee...
Ghostly figures cloaked entirely in white robes—the Guardian Shadows.
The issue was that they weren’t ghosts; they had physical form. They moved at incredible speeds, vanishing and reappearing as if leaping through space to attack.
Clang! Thud!
Durang parried the Guardian Shadows’ attacks. Each clash of his sword against the transparent, illusory blades they drew from their robes sparked flashes of light.
That wasn’t all.
Boom! Brrrboom!
The Guardian Shadows had varying combat styles. Some fired arrows of energy, others attacked with magic.
Terrifying mobility paired with diverse attack methods. And their power was formidable. Even Niberis couldn’t afford to neglect her defenses.
They seemed like half-mad foes, but over twenty were pursuing them now, coordinating with astonishing precision. Unlike humans, they disregarded their lives, making them tricky opponents.
“Guardian Shadows... what a truly annoying bunch!”
If only the mages led by Mirkel or the Guardian Shadows were absent, escaping wouldn’t be hard. But their synergy was a real headache. Outnumbered, and the Guardian Shadows’ traits were eerie against mages.
“Urk!”
Niberis blasted lightning at a Guardian Shadow that approached like a ghost from the side. Despite the wide defensive barrier enveloping the entire group, it had somehow pierced through. A bizarre feat, as if skipping through space.
That was when a Guardian Shadow appeared behind Regina, who was running next to Niberis.
“Watch out!”
Niberis reacted almost on reflex. She blasted the Guardian Shadow lunging at the startled Regina with a flash of magic.
Crack!
“Argh...!”
In that moment of exposing an opening, an enemy magic arrow struck Niberis’s arm. Seeing it, Durang flew into a rage.
“Miss! These bastards dare!”
Flames sparked from his eyes, hidden beneath his helmet.
Needing to conserve energy for the long escape, he had focused on defense and flight. But now, his mana surged like a maelstrom, unleashing shockwaves in all directions.
KABOOM!
The nearby Guardian Shadows were swept away in one go.
“I’m... fine.”
Niberis said, steadying her breath. Pain was unfamiliar to her. She had always overwhelmed her foes, rarely facing personal peril. Only during training had she experienced it to steel her mind.
So getting hit by the arrow nearly made her black out. But she gritted her teeth and endured. No matter how delicately raised, losing her composure over this was something her pride wouldn’t allow.
Regina, who had been dumbfounded, said,
“Th-thank you.”
“...Don’t get distracted. The moment you do, you’re dead.”
Niberis snapped coldly at her. Saving a subordinate and getting wounded in the process was humiliating.
‘If not for that man, this wouldn’t have happened. Bearer of that sinful name—I’ll make you pay for this humiliation.’
Niberis overcame the pain with fury toward Azel and continued her flight.
11
A boy sleeping in the shade of a tree opened his eyes. Beneath his pulled-down cap, his eyes were heavy with sleep. He looked about fifteen or sixteen.
“Yawn. What’s going on?”
The boy looked around.
Whiiiir...
Guardian Shadows in fluttering white robes drifted about. He, too, was one chosen by the Guardian Shadows.
“What happened?”
The boy asked. But the Guardian Shadows didn’t answer. They simply stared at him before vanishing.
“Hmm. Here to protect me?”
The boy tilted his head. He wasn’t upset by the lack of response. He knew well they weren’t suited for conversation.
“Got it. I just need to go, right?”
Yawning, the boy stood and began walking.
Ever since being chosen by them, he had experienced phenomena he couldn’t explain. Like now—he had no idea who told him or exactly where to go, but he felt compelled to head this way.
“Prophecy...”
Suddenly, the Guardian Shadows’ voices echoed around him. The boy turned in surprise.
“What?”
“The prophesied one...”
“Does that mean the prophesied one has appeared?”
This time, there was no reply. The Guardian Shadows uttered cryptic words and fell silent.
But that was enough for the boy.
“Ha. So the time when my life gains meaning while I’m still alive really has come?”
The boy murmured in disbelief and walked on, following the guiding sensation.